Nazi costumes removed after Perrottet row
Costume shops are removing Nazi uniforms from their catalogues a day after NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet admitted to dressing up as a Nazi at his 21st birthday.
German army uniform still available for hire in Sydney. The supplier clearly states it will not be supplying a swastika. Their caption states: “There is an interesting story behind these uniforms. They were actually secured from a German disposals store, when the Berlin Wall fell & East joined with West Germany. So you’re right on the money for authenticity. The only thing we won’t be supplying anyone with is a swastika. We would ask that you similarly show respect by not making your own.”
Nazi uniforms were still available for rent and purchase when Mr Perrottet made his confession despite the NSW government banning public displays of the swastika from August 2022.
One costume shop – which was listing a Nazi uniform for $88 – removed the item from its website within hours of the premier’s admission.
Two decades on from Mr Perrottet’s birthday party, renting out a Nazi uniform has become less common, according to one Melbourne store.
Warwick Firearms & Militaria, in the city’s southeast, only rents out its Nazi costume to film and television productions.
“The last time someone rented a Nazi uniform for a party was a couple who were abused for it,” a spokeswoman told AAP.
“It’s just bad taste.”
Mr Perrottet said he was naive and did not understand what wearing the uniform meant when he hired the costume for his party.
While attitudes have changed since little progress has been made to stand against hate crimes, renowned Australian Jewish historian Suzanne Rutland told AAP.
Cultural historian Jordana Silverstein said the timing of the premier’s admission was about saving face, rather than genuinely accounting for his actions.
“(Mr) Perrottet wearing the Nazi costume speaks to the normalisation of anti-Semitism and how acceptable it is amongst a certain segment of Australian society,” she said.
The father of seven has been premier since October 2021 and on March 25 will go to the polls for the first time as NSW Liberal leader.
Joanna Guelas in Sydney for AAP
Image and caption published by J-Wire
